horsepower (they're using a
1.9-liter four cylinder engine
that produces ~350 hp @ 6,800
rpm), and nearly half of the fuel
consumption. We believe we
can deliver similar results on
the street without compromising
safety, comfort and performance.
We have a formula that's highly
efcient and
still fun to
drive."
So they've
developed the
design for a
DeltaWing road
vehicle, a car that fts four people.
They estimate that the architecture
would result in a car that would
be 35% lighter, require 35% less
horsepower (they're thinking a 85-
to 100-hp four cylinder engine),
and consume 35% less fuel than a
conventionally designed vehicle.
Yet it would have a zero to 60
mph time of about 6 seconds and
a top speed of 130 mph.
Most notably, they're calculating
that the car would return up to
70 mpg.
The company is performing CAD
styling of the vehicle as well as
developing modular platform
engineering plans. Their objective
is to license the technology to
OEMs, then to help them tailor
their vehicles from existing or
modifed components and systems,
thereby reducing time to market
as well as
development
costs.
"While we
certainly have
the capabilities
and decades
of auto manufacturing experience
throughout our afliates Panoz
LLC and Élan Motorsports
Technologies, the DeltaWing
deserves the higher volume than
an OEM can provide to truly have
a benefcial impact on the future
and the environment," said Al
Speyer, DeltaWing Technologies
president and COO.
One wonders, however: the body
shape is unusual in the context of
sports cars, so how will it look in
a residential driveway?
Many of the aerodynamic,
lightweight and handling
benefits of the race car
can translate to the street.
AD&P; > July 2014 > FEATURE > Radical Design for 54.5 mpg & More
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